My Time
Recent off his viral smash hit, Rob49 is getting into the highlight along with his first headlining tour and daring plans to push his music to new heights.
Interview: Stacy-Ann Ellis
Editor’s Notice: This story seems within the Fall 2025 situation of XXL Journal, on newsstands now and out there on the market on the XXL web site.

Rob49 is a praying man. For the previous 5 years, the New Orleans-bred rapper, born Robert Thomas, has been dwelling in a spirit of gratitude and preparedness. The week his viral breakaway single “WTHelly” got here out this previous March, he admits on a Zoom name from his hometown in late August that he was praying “heavier than I ever prayed.” Days earlier than this chat, the 26-year-old rhymer was 9 time zones away acting at BLU Dubai nightclub, however the jet lag is hardly detectable. As a substitute, he smiles via his reward of witnessing the most important music of his profession take over all the pieces: “Like, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks, thanks.”

The inescapable music, from his newest album, Let Me Fly, peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Sizzling 100 chart and has 20 million streams on Spotify thus far. The album itself debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200 in Could, two months earlier than the deluxe version. From choir covers on TikTok to the NBA Finals, “WTHelly” birthed a catchy new addition to the popular culture lexicon.

Rob49’s unplanned rap profession has taken off at file pace. Nonetheless a curious rap neophyte in 2021, his gritty banger “Vulture Island” formally pushed him into burgeoning rap recognition. Quick-forward, and he has traded bars with heavy hitters like Lil Wayne (“Wassam Child”), Lil Child (“Vulture Island V2”), Cardi B (“On Dat Cash”) and Travis Scott (“Topia Twins” with 21 Savage), the latter of which racked up over 323 million Spotify streams. Rob additionally tee’d up “WTHelly” remixes with G Herbo and Justin Bieber this yr. To prime all of it off, he set out on the 17-city Let Me Fly Tour throughout North America—his first solo headlining trek—in October.

As a lot as he’s non secular, Rob can be extraordinarily self-aware. Whereas he’s keyed in on his streak of excellent fortune, he’s simply as conscious of the notion folks have of him as each a rapper and a person. Rob desires to indicate critics he can rap, acknowledging the doubts some might have about his lyrical prowess. However he intends to indicate and show on his personal time, not anybody else’s. He’s acquired a busy fourth quarter to are inclined to.

Right here, Rob49 talks to XXL about being strategic, how “WTHelly” was ruined a bit, why he’s scared to go on tour, the absence of hip-hop cosigns, a possible mixtape with Sexyy Purple, his subsequent album and going chilly turkey.

XXL: Thanks for taking the time to speak after such an extended journey. What was your first time in Dubai like?

Rob49: It was actual enjoyable. Going to the mosque, and simply the membership, like, them realizing my music. That was loopy.

You didn’t count on them to know your stuff?

Hell no. I assumed I had acquired over on the promoter, however I didn’t. He made some huge cash.

Let Me Fly dropped in Could, adopted by the deluxe model in July. What’s it like seeing your music take off?

It’s been thrilling. I perceive now that I acquired phases. For some motive, I simply preserve having one other one, one other one, one other one. So, now it’s identical to fall again, let the following one come. Don’t rush it. I’m simply not speeding my development.

Have you ever at all times thought like that? Or is that this one thing you’ve come to be taught?

I assumed like that after I first got here in, and I set myself up for that. All people’s telling me, “You want 5, six, seven [hits] to go in at one time.” One time I used to be making an attempt to do it, however then I used to be like, Man, it’s a motive why I informed myself drop strategically as a result of you’ll burn your self out so quick. And also you wouldn’t get one other likelihood. I understood that you just at all times get one other likelihood. So long as you don’t do no lame sh*t, you’re at all times gonna get one other likelihood.

“WTHelly” was in every single place. It turned a catchphrase, a part of the NBA Finals, and went viral on social media. Speak in regards to the influence of making this piece of tradition.

I knew that’s what I used to be going for with it. However even after I dropped it, they sort of ruined the music for me. They’re it prefer it’s a hip-hop music. I didn’t make a hip-hop music. I made a enjoyable music. They ruined it by saying, “You gotta do that on right here, it’s best to have did this.” No, I did precisely what was presupposed to be executed as a result of you recognize the music. They’re on the lookout for Kendrick Lamar. I can rap; I selected to not rap. I selected to have enjoyable and go in there punching.

Does that change the way you method your future work?

I give it some thought now as a result of I need to present you I might rap. I wanna present you nobody can stand subsequent to me, for actual. Relating to something like rap, hip-hop from Run-DMC, Rakim, to all of ’em, you possibly can’t stand subsequent to me. However on the similar time, I’m on this sh*t to make some cash, so I do know the distinction between songs. When a ni**a pays for me for a characteristic, I ask him, “Would you like a great music, or would you like a success? Simply so you recognize, I might do each, however what would you like?”

Do you’re feeling such as you’ll have one venture the place you’ll deal with that different rapper persona?

For positive. I do know what I need to do, and I do know I acquired time to do it. I’m about to do a tape happening all Rakim, Run-[DMC] [beats]. For the following yr, I’m about to take action a lot stuff with my content material and with what I’m doing. For my profession, I have been being raunchy rather a lot, so even doing that, I simply need to have a greater picture of myself.

You are headlining your individual tour this yr. Are you prepared? 

I’m actually excited. I’m sort of scared, however in case you’re not scared, then you definitely ain’t doing one thing proper. Uncomfortable is the perfect factor to be. I’m prepared to simply sort out it and do it for actual.

What are you fearful of?

I don’t know, man. I by no means been on tour earlier than and I’m one of many those who by no means thinks I’m as huge as I’m.

So, how did you put together?

I’m going via each present and seeing what they mess with rather a lot. I’m making an attempt to drop some extra music earlier than tour. I don’t wanna do it fallacious, you recognize? So, I’m making an attempt to get it collectively.

You’re sort of an “It” man connecting totally different generations, from the youth to big-name friends to OGs. Are you intentional about being in that center spot and getting respect from all sides?

I wished one thing for myself, and God gave me one thing that I ain’t even know I wanted. As a result of I wished to be the [untouchable guy], however once you’re that and also you’re not working with the youth and also you’re not working with those who’s developing, and also you gotta rely upon strictly your individual factor, folks fall off so quick like that.

I believe God simply put me ready to simply be reasonable, at all times giving me one other likelihood to go larger and larger, again and again. I believe meaning extra to me than something—not having the ability to attain a climax and having the ability to work with totally different folks. I ain’t by no means too huge to work with any person.

After which you’ve gotten this respect and relationship with folks from again residence—Lil Wayne, Birdman, Curren$y. Did you at all times see your self being in lockstep with them and resonating in New Orleans?

I ain’t gon’ lie, I at all times wished it till I actually acquired the place I wanted to be. Then I used to be sort of OK on it. Perhaps I’m fallacious for feeling like that, however I really feel like I would like that, but it surely’s not for me to do it as a result of I’m younger. It’s not my job to, you recognize? It’s different folks’s job. And I really feel like they don’t be doing it, so it’s what it’s. As a lot as they’re presupposed to.

On a distinct word, Sexyy Purple, one other one among your folks and profitable friends, shared an image of her toes painted to say “I <3 Rob” earlier this yr. What was your response to the pedicure?

I didn’t even know she did that. She humorous as hell. That’s my dawg, although.

Below The Shade Room’s put up, she clarified that you just’re her bestie and that you’ve music popping out collectively. May you discuss what you’re engaged on?

We acquired lots of songs. It simply be banger after banger after banger. We did three songs the opposite night time, and so they had been simply going. She referred to as me the opposite day like, “You wanna do a tape? Let’s do a tape.” And I do know the tape gonna be viral.

So, I don’t know, hopefully. Proper now, I’m simply engaged on mine as a result of once you gradual your sh*t as much as do one thing else, you by no means know. If something is available in between us, we are able to nonetheless do it. However apart from that, like, I ain’t stopping what I acquired happening.

You’ve talked about listening to The Infamous B.I.G., Slick Rick, Doug E. Recent and also you’ve even mentioned Able to Die is the perfect rap album. What’s it in regards to the New York sound or its artists that stands out to you?

I ain’t even like a giant fan of New York, however I’m a giant fan of what they produce. So far as the music and the tradition, I adore it. I used to be a giant fan of Slick Rick, Rakim, Biggie, all them earlier than I knew about New York, for actual. So, they don’t have any reference to me with New York. I identical to that they styled what they was on. It was simply gasoline earlier than I knew what gasoline was. It’s not the place they’re from, it’s what they’re saying.

Does how they approached their craft play a component in the way you do what you do?

Biggie [is] a giant affect on my music and Rakim. I acquired this factor I wanna do with Rakim that’s gonna be gasoline. I’d simply begin getting on they beats however speaking like how I discuss. They’d be like, “No means he did that.” I’ma pop it. Think about me getting on the “Paid in Full” beat. Assume you’re actually popping it like a younger ni**a, however you making that sh*t make sense.

What do you’re feeling such as you signify in hip-hop proper now?

I believe simply the younger Rick James vibe, however a cleaner one. Simply participant, like how a participant is meant to be a participant. Like a stand-up particular person. That’s what I’m making an attempt to be on, even when folks don’t [see it]. That’s what I’m going for.

What do you assume that hip-hop is lacking or wants extra of in your opinion?

I wanna see extra of the dons of this sh*t coming to get a few of us younger ones and making us the brand new dons to choose the dons after us. As a result of our music’s going, [but] folks don’t respect the music. Music is all about respect. It don’t matter what Younger Thug say on the music, so long as you respect what he mentioned, it might be good.

I believe they gotta assist us construct that degree of respect with the world. And now you get to choose the following ones. That’s what didn’t occur for this technology of rappers proper now. It stopped at Lil Child. Muthaf**kas was bigging Lil Child up, but it surely stopped there. We ain’t had no person to try this for us, and lots of muthaf**kas did it for him. A whole lot of them did it for Gunna.

What’s motivating you now? How are you making an attempt to raise from right here?

Going from raunchy to the riches. That’s motivating me proper now as a result of I do know what I would like
for myself.

Past the tour, what else do you’ve gotten deliberate for the remainder of the yr?

I’m engaged on an album referred to as Lifetime of the Get together. I’m pushing that narrative. Like, you gotta hear this within the membership. You’ll be able to’t go with out taking part in Rob.

And lastly, in your music “Get the Image” this yr, you rapped: “I been on drugs for 4 months straight, I’m tryna kick it, kick it, kick it.” Are you in a greater place since then? How did you handle to kick it?

I’m. I actually am. I simply stopped. If I say I’m gonna do one thing and I don’t do it, I really feel like a crackhead. So, I simply stopped chilly turkey. That’s it. I’ve been feeling good. I’d in all probability do an higher at some point, however I ain’t doing no downers in any respect.

Take heed to Rob49’s Let Me Fly Deluxe Album

The autumn 2025 situation of XXL journal that includes Rob49’s interview is offered to buy right here. The difficulty additionally consists of Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s cowl story interviews, conversations with Likelihood The Rapper, Curren$y, Hit-Boy, KenTheMan, Wallo267, Bay Swag, Hanumankind, Babyfxce E, Ghostface Killah, Hurricane Knowledge, Conway The Machine, Pluto, TiaCorine, Isaiah Falls, comic Josh Joshson, Vice President of Music at SiriusXM and Pandora Joshua “J1” Raiford, a take a look at the change in album rollouts over time highlighted by Clipse’s Let God Type Em Out album and extra.

See Images From Joey Bada$$ and J.I.D’s XXL Journal Fall 2025 Cowl Shoot